1. Technical Field
The present device relates generally to a disposable or reusable, removable, foldable liner for a child""s seat, such as a high chair, baby stroller, child""s seat of a shopping cart, child""s chair, baby carrier, or portable baby/child seat, or a baby changing table.
2. Background Information
Restaurant high chairs are ordinarily stable to avoid tipping, simple and unfoldable to avoid accidents, such as pinching of the baby""s fingers, and durable so that they can be moved around and used by many different babies and parents. The high chair can be pulled up to the restaurant table, or the high chair may come with a tray which fits over the arms. These high chairs are often stackable to conserve space in the restaurant. The footrest comes in handy to help unstack high chairs. When several high chairs are stuck on top of one another, an adult can put a foot on the footrest and push down while pulling up on a high chair arm with a free hand. The adult""s other hand is often tied up holding the baby.
The typical wooden high chair is relatively wide compared with many high chairs found in residences, which are available in wide variety. Smaller babies and infants can slip out of these wide high chairs. When the baby is an infant, many of the wooden restaurant high chairs can be upended and an infant carrier can be placed between the legs of the high chair. Babies should, of course, always be supervised while in any high chair.
There are several problems with these wooden high chairs, the predominant one being how unsanitary they often are. High chairs in restaurants are used several times each day by different babies. Parents are a captive audience; it is impractical to bring one""s own high chair to a restaurant. Babies often gum high chair bars, railings and seat belts, which can become twisted and filthy. Parents are often not as conscientious about maintaining a restaurant""s high chairs. Restaurant workers may be busy and often do not realize the importance of wiping down high chairs after each use.
Another problem is the leftover food crumbs, smears and spills left behind when the baby and family are finished and are ready to leave the restaurant. Of course, some babies are neat when they eat, but others play happily with their food. The parent/caretaker does not have cleaning tools and access to a sink so that he or she can clean up after the baby eats. She, or he, often does not have the time to clean up, either. A big tip somehow does not soften the embarrassment of leaving a big mess behind in a restaurant.
The present invention is a disposable or reusable, portable seat liner, or cover, for wooden high chairs or other, similar types of childrens"" seats. This seat cover largely avoids the problem of unsanitary restaurant high chairs by keeping the child""s body from contacting the surface of the high chair. This seat cover can be laid out flat for cleaning by hand, or washed in a washing machine and dried. The present reusable high chair cover has an open position for use on a high chair or other type of child""s seat, and a closed position for storage. It folds into a compact, aerated pocket bag shape for transportation to and from the restaurant. The pocket can be used for storage of toys, blankets, pacifiers, bibs, etc. while the seat cover is in place on a high chair. This seat cover device can easily be assembled on a high chair, and folded up quickly for carrying away from the restaurant. Much of the mess can be carried away in this seat cover, which can be cleaned later. The seat cover includes a clip mechanism for attaching a pacifier so that it is less likely to be lost. The seat cover of the present invention also helps to prevent the baby from slipping out of the high chair.
The present invention is a one piece, flexible liner, or cover, for a high chair or any other type of child""s seat. It includes:
a) a central, generally square-shaped seat portion;
b) a pair of arm portions extending from opposite sides of the seat portion;
c) a front portion extending from a third side of the seat portion;
d) a generally rectangular-shaped back portion extending from a fourth side of the seat portion opposite to the front portion;
e) one or more fastening mechanisms for detachably attaching the liner to the high chair or child seat; and
f) a storage pouch extending continuously from an end of the back portion. When the liner is in use, the seat portion rests on the seat of the high chair or child seat, each arm portion extends over an arm of the high chair or child seat, the front portion extends down from the seat of the high chair or child seat, the back portion is positioned on the back of the high chair or child seat, and the storage pouch extends over the back of the high chair or child seat; and, when the liner is folded, it fits into the storage pouch.
The present invention also encompasses a disposable liner for a high chair or other type of child seat having a generally rectangular-shaped seat portion bordered by a back portion on one side, a front portion on an opposite side, and two arm portions on opposite sides of the seat portion. The disposable liner includes: (a) an upper layer of flexible, liquid permeable sheet material; (b) a middle layer of an absorbent core material; and (c) a lower layer of liquid impermeable material. The outside of the lower layer includes a detachable adhesive adapted for contacting the high chair seat. Also included herein is a method for folding a one-piece child seat liner into a storage pouch, which is part of the liner.